Mark Jones, Ski Technique writer for Ski+board magazine is
based in Val d'Isère and tells us he has spent the week
skiing in waist-deep powder, whilst Tignes Tourist Office
has reported 150cm of snow in the last 5 days.

Tignes-Wednesday

Phil Harrison, a ski instructor and director of the Development Centre
in Val d'Isere/Tignes, has been stunned by the snow this week, "I
was out this Wednesday on the Banane, it was the best day's skiing of
my life!".

Val d'Isère-Wednesday

Val d'Isère-Wednesday

Over in Alpe d'Huez, conditions are also fantastic. Katharine Lee,
Managing Director of Ski à la Carte sent us these pictures, saying
it’s the most December snow she’s seen in years.

Alpe d'Huez-this week

Alpe d'Huez-this week

Well over a metre of snow has fallen across the French Alps this
week, providing powder conditions from top to bottom in many
resorts.

From the Ski Club of GB website.......it's the same in Switzerland,
the same in Austria - almost all resorts have 150cm+ up top and some
have nearly 3 metres (e.g. St Anton). It's now cold and sunny...

Maybe it all came because of sunspot inactivity (the same thing
happened early season in 1996 in Europe)?